In terms of my own national identity, I am Welsh, British and European in that order.
I have always supported Wales having it's own Assembly with a reasonable amount of autonomy and power to set it's own policy agenda on certain areas. I do not support us having our own Parliament and separating from the rest of the UK, for many reasons but primarily because we would not be able to sustain ourselves. I think the majority of people in Wales feel the same way. It is only really Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales) that takes the Nationalist approach and that is largely connected to preservation of the Welsh language. I don't believe that promotion of the Welsh language equates to supporting Plaid Cymru or a nationalist agenda.
Also the nationalists are not the majority here and that is important to note. We have seen nasty incidents of radical groups campaigning against "White Settlers" as you put it but that isn't the 'Welsh way' or the public policy context that we operate within.
I've spent the last 9 years working in a public policy arena where we have had the impact of devolution within the wider context of pan-europe developments and globalisation.
I think we can serve the population of Wales far better through use of our devolved powers but I don't equate that to dismembering the UK or Europe. I'm not familiar with the situation across the continent where perhaps nationalist parties have more influence and support.
I do think it can work both ways though - to fit into a European agenda whilst also preserving national/regional identities and meeting policy needs at this level. Ad astra per aspera
For all the efforts by Europeans to make the US look in the mirror, I think that Europeans are far less critical of their own failings than Americans. It's just that American failings are the ones that cause the most harm for other poeple's at this time.
I know that I create a lot of conflict by asking those on this site to look in the mirror, but I feel that it most be done. Europe to confront it's failings as well, and I think that as a whole there is far less honesty in the way that European publics deal with their problems than in the US.
The convergence of nationalism and socialism has caused grave problems for Europe in the past.
Two words on that.
Never again. And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
A comment I'll back up, as a person of Welsh stock, even though I don't live in Wales. ceebs also says the same thing below. Violent Welsh nationalism concerns (and has never concerned more than) a tiny minority.
And your response to that is to remind us of the Nazis and "never again"?
Seriously, isn't that the same everywhere? The (justified) anger of locals at not being able to afford a house where their family has lived for generations because some rich bastards from the big cities move in an push the prices up? -----sapere aude
